Golden Sun: The Quest of Luna
by Snuggs
Summary: The threat of Alchemy surfaces, and to top it all off, Alex has returned and kidnapped Kraden. Now the group must journey beyond the lighthouses, beyond Gaia Falls, and into a new world with new quests. What surprises await them?
1. Reunion

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter One (Reunion):**

Isaac ran breathlessly through the forest northwest of Bilibin.  Over the hill, he could see them. The group had used psyenergy to overwhelm country folk and steal their produce.  Up close, he realized they were in their mid twenties with a sloppy look.

"Mother Gaia!" He screamed.  They turned in alarm.  One managed to leap out of the way just in time, but the others weren't so lucky.  They were engulfed by the might of the Earth.

"What the…" The remaining thief said.  "Who… what are you?" He looked back at his comrades.  Some were confused, and some were very angry.

Isaac paused, not knowing how to respond at first.  What did he want? Justice for Bilibin? _Not only for Bilibin_, he told himself, _for everyone else as well_.  "I'm Isaac… and I'm here to stop you." With a final breath he screamed, "Odyssey!"

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Navampa walked up to the innkeeper in Naribwe as his men joked and laughed behind him, having the time of their lives.  He slapped down some coins on the counter.  "I need room and board for eight!" He told the innkeeper.

"I'm sorry." The innkeeper apologized, "But we already have only eight beds." The man did look sorry.

"That's perfect then!" Navampa laughed, not knowing what the problem was., "There's eight of us," He said slowly as he counted on his fingers is he really did have eight men.

"Yes…" The innkeeper said, "but we have a reserved bed at the time." The innkeeper pleaded.  Navampa suddenly lost his temper and grabbed the man by the collar.

"Now you listen to me." He snarled menacingly, "I would like _room_ and _board_ for my men and you will give it to us…" He paused, "free of charge.  I will handle the man with the reserved bed when he arrives… personally."

"I'm s-sorry…" The innkeeper stammered, "B-but I can't…" Navampa suddenly lost control and tried to punch the innkeeper, but a metallic staff hit him right in the nose, sending him flying against the wall.  Things cracked… not the walls.  A small, cloaked figure, stood in front of the innkeeper.

"What the…" one of Navampa's men said as the rest got up, brandishing their swords, eyeing the stranger.  "No one does that to our boss!"

The cloaked figure lifted the hood, revealing a pretty blonde haired girl.  It was Sheba.  "Only seven?" She sounded disappointed.

"Holy crap! It's a girl!" The man said, "Seven's plenty for a wee girlie like you! We're gonna show you who wears the trousers around here…"

Sheba could only smile as she summoned Thor.

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Jenna leaped to the left as a geyser of water narrowly missed her.  Beside her, Felix raised his sword, "Megiddo!" He screamed.  His blade whistled as he leaped several feet up and came down with a mighty clash that had a huge magnitude.

Alex collapsed to his knees but rolled away as Jenna tried to finish it with a strike.

"Echo!" Felix called, "Help me out here." His sword glowed an eerie glow.

"Cannon! You too!" Her staff started to heat up blazing with a red aura.  The two darted forward, leaped, and struck Alex, unable to move fast enough to dodge.

"Venus!" Felix called.

"Mars!" Followed Jenna.

"W-w-warp!" Alex gasped as he dived forward to grab the unconscious Kraden and escaped from the foot of Mt. Aleph, beaten and thrashed from his descent and struggle.

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Mia looked up at the white clouds as she walked en route to Vale.  Her journey hadn't been very long.  It didn't compare with the journey across Angara and then sailing around the world in pursuit of their adventure's end.  In truth, she missed those days.  At least then she had action.  These days, when a ruffian approaches her for money, the man has guilt over his face.  How could he mug a girl that had the look of an angel upon her? And if one does have the guts, they aren't much of a challenge.  They're quickly dispatched with her psyenergy.  She didn't approve of violence, just that she wanted the misfits and criminals off the streets before they could do harm to people that won't be able to defend themselves or send the misfits to jail as easily as she could.

"Mia!" Someone called out to her.  It was Ivan! She stopped to allow her old friend to catch up.  He was panting at a full sprint.  "H-h-help…" He pleaded… "Piers went crazy and is now chasing me with a flying ship!" Mia tried hard not to roll her eyes.  Boys and their games…

"Let's go then!" She giggled.  The two broke into a sprint.  Just as they did, an enormous ship with wings streaked over them.  A faint sound of laughing was heard.

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Garet's eyes brightened in the innkeeper's kitchen window as he saw the flying ship.  He rushed out the backdoor to meet his friends, despite the angry voice of the innkeeper calling him back.  "About time!" He pouted.  "I've been starving myself senseless waiting for you guys and all you've been doing is taking your jolly good time." He looked at them, hurt and abused.

"I'm sorry, Garet." Mia apologized.  Truthfully, she did not mean Garet any ill harm.  Garet was just like a little boy with a big body.  He would literally eat anything and everything and he was so self-centered at times.

"Pay for the meal I owe the innkeeper and we'll call it even." He grinned.  Piers did not restrain himself from hitting him in the back of the head.

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Felix and Jenna descended down the steps below the sanctum and ran to the mayor's house.  "Mayor…" Felix called as Jenna took a moment to catch her breath.  Since their return to Vale, she really let herself go.  "We have a bit of bad news."

The mayor looked up intently at them and at that moment, Garet, Ivan, Mia, and Piers walked in engaged in jolly conversation.  The seriousness stopped them dead in their tracks.  "What's going on here?" Piers asked.

"Jenna, Kraden, and I went to investigate the weird earthquakes we've been having." Felix explained, "Kraden suspected that Alchemy is at fault and that the source of the chaos was Sol Sanctum."

"And…?" The mayor asked curiously.  "What did you find?"

"Alex." Jenna breathed.  "We accidentally freed him.  He was trapped in the rubble that blocked Sol Sanctum's doors.  He tried to kill us quickly.  Felix and I managed to dodge one of his geysers.  Kraden wasn't so lucky..." She paused looking ashamed.

"WHAT?" Everyone gasped.  They looked at Felix and Jenna's face desperately, looking for some sign of a joke.  Something that said, 'Ha, fooled you', but there was none.

After the long pause, "Where was Garet during all this?" The mayor asked.

"I was uh… awaiting the arrival of Ivan and the others." He reasoned.  _I knew I shouldn't have left early to get some grub_, he smacked himself mentally.

"You would've been more of a help to Felix and Jenna!" The mayor fumed. Garet put on a weak smile and apologized quietly to Felix and Jenna.  "Still, we can't help it now.  Do you know where Alex could've taken Kraden?"

"Alex was weak after our battle.  He barely managed to warp away.  Kraden was unconscious." Felix said, "I don't think he'll get far.  He might just have enough energy to make a journey to either Vault, Lunpa, or Kalay."

"He's at Lunpa." A voice interrupted.  Everyone froze.  They turned to see a lean blonde boy with a blue and gold outfit.  His eyes were as blue as the scarf, but far warmer.  Right now his appearance was devastating.  There were rips on his tunic and he had bags under his eyes.  He clearly rushed through his mission requested from Bilibin.

"Isaac!" Everyone greeted.  Isaac walked forward.  Despite his appearance, his physical state could not be better.  His lanky arms that once struggled to hold a sword three years ago were hardened into tough muscles that gripped a sword like an extension of his hand.  His legs were strong and his stamina exceptional.  His aura was filled with warmth and power.  All this was obvious to everyone as he walked towards them.

"How do you know he's at Lunpa?" The mayor asked suspiciously.

"Just think about it." Isaac sighed as he sat down on a wooden chair near the table., "I passed by the Inn at Vault on my way here… it's way too obvious.  If a blue-haired adept passed with an unconscious old man everyone knew, people would talk and I'd be one of the first to hear about odd strangers.  And we all know Kalay is a bit of a stretch.  Alex can't possibly have enough energy to bring himself _and_ Kraden there.  Kraden would wake while he was asleep and get away."

Everyone thought about it for a minute and decided that he was right.  "Lunpa it is, then?"

"Wait, Isaac." Felix interrupted.  There was one more person that should have been here, but wasn't.  "Where's Sheba? Didn't she go with you?" Isaac nodded and sighed.  He stood up and walked to the nearby window, overlooking Vale.

Isaac looked out.  "Not soon after we began our journey, she decided to embark on a quest to find Anemos.  She's probably still interested in where she comes from.  We all gained a bit of something on our last quest together.  You, Jenna, and I regained our family… Garet the approval of his grandfather, Ivan, his family roots and sister, Mia… well… she gave the Mercury Clan more honor that what they could ever have hoped for.  Piers fulfilled a destiny that he had wanted to achieve.  He also succeeded in performing the duties bestowed upon him from King Hydros." He tore his gaze away from the window and looked at Felix in the eye.  "I could not stop her."

"What about me?" Felix whispered to himself, just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.  "Did I not mean anything to Sheba?"

"I'm sorry." Isaac looked away again, not able to look his childhood friend in the eye.  Everyone's look of pure sadness was was quickly turned to face away from Felix's wandering eyes.

Felix nodded, his face full of hurt.  "I understand."

"To Lunpa, then?" Isaac looked around.  Everyone nodded reluctantly.  "Then Lunpa it is." Isaac said with slightly less enthusiasm.

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A/N: After Midiot's review of Chapter One, I kinda added more to it.  See what you guys think… 


	2. Lunpa

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter Two (Lunpa):**

The party of seven burst into the gates of Lunpa, meeting a lot of resistance.

"Searing Beam!" Jenna conjured at the small army.  One fourth of their number perished, but the numbers were quickly growing.

"Megiddo!" Felix leaped with his glowing Sol Blade.

"Judgment!" Isaac summoned the angel of death upon the army.

"Spark Plasma!" Ivan rained a barrage of lightning bolts upon the men.  They didn't know what hit them.  Suddenly, more of Dodonpa's men flooded from the caves.  They also flooded from tunnels and trenches.  The seven wondered how their forces could stand against so many, but if anyone could do it, they could.  After all, who stood against four of the most powerful adepts, then faced off against the Wise One's three-headed Meteor Dragon atop Mars Lighthouse?

"Go!" Piers called as he slashed forward, tearing a small gap through the ever-increasing crowd.  Felix pushed through, followed closely by Jenna.

"Revive." Isaac cast on Ivan.

"Don't worry about it Isaac!" Piers insisted, "Ivan, Mia, Garet, and I will handle them." An arrow pierced his arm.  Piers screamed.  "Ply!" He added, then, "Boreas!" A gigantic shadow loomed over the crowd.  As their determined eyes scanned it, they gaped.  What should be standing over them, seemingly having flown down from the sky was none other than a giant snow cone machine.  But since giant snow cone machines weren't invented then, they didn't suspect this.  They didn't suspect the delicious frozen goodness could be conceived from the machine that would literally freeze every one of their fibers.  The ones that could screamed in peril as the ice engulfed them.  The ones that couldn't… well… they won't be saying anything for a while… or moving for that matter.  Still others flooded out of the caves, replacing their incapacitated numbers.  Pretty soon, the army that stood before the seven doubled.

Mia healed Ivan and Garet as they launched a full head on assault.  "Come on, Isaac!" Felix pulled his comrade forcefully to the gates of Dodonpa's lair.  Isaac continued to struggle.

"I'm _not_ leaving them! They'll die!"

"Come _on_!" Felix insisted.

"No!" Isaac pleaded.  "I can't leave them!"

"They're stronger than this, Isaac! They'll live! Just as they did atop Mars Lighthouse! Kraden, for that matter, won't if we wait any longer!" Felix yelled as he dragged Isaac inside.  He finally stopped struggling as he remembered the wise scholar.

"You're right." Isaac whispered.

"Lead the way!" Felix called to Jenna, still holding on the Isaac's sleeve.  Felix nudged Isaac in front of him.

They spent several minutes, weaving through the corridors of Dodonpa's lair.  All was silent with Jenna in the lead, Isaac in the middle, and Felix at the rear.  No conversation was made as everyone's attention was on their thoughts.  How had the others fared? Was it possible that Dodonpa's forces could overwhelm the Chosen Ones? Had everything been a waste? They had survived for so long, despite so many obstacles, that it would seem a waste to die on the hands of Dodonpa the evil thief. _No_, Isaac told himself, _I have to trust them_.

Finally they came upon the final chamber where Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia had once battled Toadonpa.  It was still damp and filthy.  No doubt it hadn't been used since Dodonpa had been locked up.  Donpa, of course, was too sickly and probably didn't know what was going on.  That or Dodonpa had already killed his own father.

"So…" Dodonpa spoke, almost bored.  But there was resentment in his voice, "You've finally come.  The blue-haired adept said you would." He paused to examine their angered faces as he mentioned the mysterious Adept.  "I suppose you're here to kill me… or perhaps… something else?"

"Where's Alex?" Felix demanded. Isaac was too angry for words, while Jenna slinked to the side, ready for action.

"Ah… so the little ingrate has a name…" Dodonpa commented wryly.  "He's not here.  Trust me, if he were, I'd have killed him."

"What?" Isaac asked incredulously.  "You two are obviously on the same side!"

"Hardly." Dodonpa smirked.  "Seems he ran off after we revived him and found one of the rocks that fell from the sky.  Took the old man and ran north through the mountains.  Didn't stop there, though, did he? He infiltrated my private dock and stole one of my ships."

"When did this happen?" Jenna asked incredulously.  Clearly she didn't believe the little snake.

"Not long before your arrival.  Of course I had the men stationed at the caves, as I didn't think you'd be so rude as to knock down my front door and all."

Jenna's face blushed.  "Ah… yes… the wooden door, now was it? The… rotten… flammable one?"

"Flammable? Yes… Rotten? Hardly." Dodonpa walked up to her.  "I will allow you passage to the mountain tunnels and into the docks, in exchange for Alex."

"What do you mean?" asked Isaac.

"Alex owed us, but in return he stole from Lunpa.  My father is long dead, but he's taught me the value of nobility.  Although I would like to puncture his chest until I can feel his very heart beat rapidly… I cannot.  Instead, I would like him contained in prison.  The best prison in Angara besides the one down at Vault." Dodonpa offered.  

"What makes you think we trust you?" Asked Jenna incredulously again.  She raised her staff ready to attack, to prove Dodonpa's treachery with a misstep from his web of lies.

"You've got no choice." Dodonpa reasoned.  "You go now, you can catch him.  You don't… well… you lose him forever."

"Why don't _you_ go and get him." Jenna snarled.  "Or is this another one of your pathetic traps? Your underhanded maneuver to kill us while our backs are turned like trusting little—"

"Jenna…" Felix warned.

Dodonpa smiled weakly.  "Yes, I suppose I deserve that.  No, I do not plan any tricks, for my bag of them has been thrown aside.  I, although as hard to believe as it is, want nothing more than justice for Lunpa.  I cannot pursue him, for what happens when I catch him? Truth be told, I don't do my own fighting and Toadonpa has long died."

"I understand." Felix sighed.  "Lead the way."

Dodonpa smiled weakly as he inserted a jewel into the head of a Minotaur on the wall.  Rocks slid aside to reveal a doorway.  They stepped inside and walked down the stairs and followed the corridors at a full sprint.

"Jenna." Felix breathed as Dodonpa ran in front unaware.  "Go back to the others and tell them we will be pursuing Alex.  Meet us at Gondowan Passage."

"You and Isaac will go alone?" Jenna asked hotly.  "I get to miss the action?"

"It can't be helped, Jenna.  Isaac and I have to do without you for now, but we'll meet up with you—for heavens' sake, Jenna, I have no time for this right now.  Get help and we'll meet up with you at Gondowan Passage.  Here's the Hover Jade." Felix thrust the jade into Jenna's hands and watched her disappear back fuming.  _I'll apologize to her later_, Felix told himself, _when I can_.

They finally came upon a staircase leading up and out of the cave.  "Hey, where's Jenna?" Isaac asked as he noticed the missing member.

"I sent her to get help." Felix explained.  "Dodonpa, you have two ships remaining, I see… may we borrow one to pursue Alex with?"

"Of course," Dodonpa said, "What else did you have in mind? Alex stole an old ship given to me by my father called the Starsearcher.  It's very old and creaky.  My grandfather used it frequently back in his day, so the ship to the right, Lunara, should be able to catch up to it without a problem."

"Thank you, Dodonpa." Felix said.  "We appreciate your help."

"Just get the man who stole my father's ship." Dodonpa waved.  As the ship sailed down closer to the horizon, he smiled.  "Okay, Alex." He said to himself, "I did my part of the bargain… now it's your turn."

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A/N:

Midiot: How was that? I had the second chapter done already after I read your review, so I sorta added a bit more to it.  Tell me what you think.


	3. Reinforcements

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter Three (Reinforcements):**

Jenna ran down the hall and out the door, almost slipping.  She didn't notice as the adrenaline pumped into her like water in a holed up boat.  She rushed into the battle scene and was surprised at what she found.

Garet stood at the center, standing next to Piers and Sheba, who were both downed and lying at his feet, while he tried to fend off the surrounding men.  "Eruption!" He cried, "Flare Wall!" He tried again.  "Fire!" He tried to conjure, but he was drained.  "It's no use…" He said.  "We're all dead."

Instantly, Jenna grabbed something from her tunic.  She held the Tomegathericon in her sweaty hands and channeled her psyenergy at through it.  Instantly, it melded into her, leaving a black diamond embedded onto her hand.

"Revive!" She cast at Piers.  Garet jerked in surprise as he saw Jenna, but as he did, the forces of Lunpa finally got to him and carried him off in a tide that tried to engulf the adepts.  However, with Piers awake, he managed to get to Sheba and use the Water of Life.  All that was visible to Jenna were two Djinni that rose up and swept to the heart of the army's numbers.  Garet charged out, revitalized, swinging his mighty Fire Brand around, daring anyone to come near.  He ran to Piers and Sheba and they stood at a circle.

Jenna took a look around and finally spotted what she was looking for.  She backed up and ran to the left, reaching a ledge.  She didn't stop, however, and used the momentum to carry her into the air.  She did a graceful somersault and landed on the ground like a cat with her staff on hand.

There were four of them, back to back, all with faces of grim determination.  There was no doubt in their minds that they would win now.  In fact, the only thing in their minds right now was the battle at hand.  This was what Jenna craved for.  The battle.  The rush.  The risk.  And in that split second that she savored it all, all hell broke loose.

Five people rushed at her, swinging their maces wildly.  Jenna leaped as she raised her staff over her head and swung downward.  One of them was down.  She leaped back to avoid getting her head impaled and backed into Garet, who was using Psyenergy to drive his opponents away.  "Ready?" Jenna asked dangerously, having a killer idea.

"Tag team?" Garet grinned as Jenna laughed in approval.  "You bet."

"On three, then." Jenna said under her breath as she raised her staff to deflect a blow.  She swung the staff horizontally so that she hit two of them in one try.  "Three!"

"METEOR!" They both shouted as they ducked out of the way.  A barrage of flaming rocks tore from the skies, masking the sky into a color of dull red.  Everyone stopped fighting to watch the sight, all frozen, not knowing what to do.

"THOR!" Ivan summoned from far away.  A solitary lightning bolt flashed from the sky and struck the crowd.  People were thrown back.  The mighty god of thunder named Thor appeared with his hammer on hand.  He raised the hammer and struck the ground.  All at once, lightning came from the hammer and electrocuted a huge amount of people.  The ones that survived could not evade both the lightning and flaming rocks at the same time.  The chaos was too much even for the heroic four.  As the screams of what remained of the army started to die out, the darkness started to creep into their vision, eventually taking them down altogether.

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Piers awoke to a huge throbbing on his head.  He put his hand up and massaged his temples gingerly.  "Ooohhh…" he groaned, "I'm too old for this…" He spotted an arm dressed in orange sticking out from the rubble.  "Garet!" He yelled in alarm.  The arm was bloodied up and the big lug was under the rocks.  He struggled to move the rocks and his progress was slow, but effective.  Soon, he uncovered his comrade who had fought so hard with him.

"Garet." Piers spoke loudly, "Earnest Ply." He cast.  Garet still lay unmoving.  "Dammit, Garet, wake _up_!" A snore came from Garet.  Piers froze.  "W-What?" He was thoroughly surprised.  "Garet… you _tard_! Douse!" A storm cloud hovered over the sleeping pile of fat and rained down water on him.

Garet's face scrunched up.  "Five more minutes…" He groaned as he twisted and turned.  "Please mom, just five more…"

"I'm not your mother!" Piers said as he kicked Garet to the side.  "Wake up! We have to get Jenna and Ivan out!" Garet woke up, finally remembering where he was.  He blushed a bright crimson as he remembered what he just said, then felt a rush of anger as he realized that Piers had just kicked him.

"Hey, Piers! I don't understand what kicking me was supposed to—" He started, but Piers turned and snapped at him.

"I don't particularly care right now what it was supposed to solve.  All I know is, you're awake and that's good enough for me!" Piers walked away, eyes scanning the ground.  "Now help me find Ivan and Jenna.  They could be _dead_ for all we know."

"Don't be such a worry wart.  I'm sure they're— Jenna!" He spotted his friend half crushed by a big boulder.  "Piers!" He called unnecessarily as Piers had already ran at a sprint to him when he heard her name.

"Shit," Piers cursed, "This boulder's too big to carry ourselves."

"No it's not." Garet argued, "Lift!" Two translucent white gloves gripped the rock and lifted it off the ground.  "Quickly, Piers! Get her out!" Piers did not have a witty remark, for this was not the time.  He grabbed Jenna by the arms and dragged her out as the boulder came down with a loud boom.  "Heal her." Garet ordered.  "I'll find Ivan!" He scurried off looking for any signs of his friend.  Finally, he managed to find him piled under a man and a boulder.  The man had taken most of the damage, but Ivan was still unconscious.  Out but thoroughly unharmed.  He'd been lucky.

Garet lifted Ivan off the ground and hurried to Jenna and Piers.  "Hey, Piers! I found him!" He turned around the bend to find Piers healing Jenna.  Her breathing went back into rhythm an Piers stopped.  He wiped the beads of sweat and lay on the hot, murky ground.

"I'm drained." Piers announced.  "Jenna…?"

Jenna's eyes fluttered open and darted to her hand where she held… the Tomegathericon! She smiled, satisfied, and pocketed it.  "That's okay, Piers.  I could take it from here." She sat up and stood on her feet shakily.  She got on her knees beside Ivan's limp body and placed her hands on his chest.  "Cool Aura…" She muttered under her breath as golden orange dots of light raced down her arms and into Ivan's chest.  Her eyes glowed with fire as she healed him.  Ivan gasped for air, unconscious.  Finally, instead of bursts, his breathing became regular and he opened his eyes lazily.  It had not been hard for Ivan had not been injured much.  "Are you okay, Piers?" She finally turned to ask the blue-haired adept.

"Yes, I'm fine.  Just tired, that's all." He struggled to make his breathing regular.

"Oh, I think you have more need of this than I do." Ivan smiled as he took out a golden star from his pouch.  It was a Psycrystal.

"No, Ivan.  I couldn't impose." Piers said casually, trying to push Ivan's hands back.

"It's not imposing if we're friends!" Ivan insisted.  "We're friends, aren't we?"

Piers paused, not really knowing what to say.  Finally, conceding defeat he took the Psycrystal from Ivan's dry hands.  "Of course we're friends, Ivan." He used the psycrystal to replenish his energy.

"Jenna." Garet spoke as he finished watching the exchange between Ivan and Piers.  "Where are Felix and Isaac?" The question hadn't really dawned upon him since he had bigger things to worry about before… like staying alive for example.

"Yeah," Ivan said slowly.  "I didn't see them during the fight.  Usually I see a few stray Judgments here and there…"

"Thank God there were none this time!" Piers laughed.  "I don't think our beating could've used an extra summon.  Two Meteors and a Thor were bad enough… but now that we're on the subject…  Where _are_ Felix and Isaac?"

"It looks like you missed out on a lot." Jenna said to the confused adepts.  "Felix and Isaac borrowed a ship from Dodonpa."

"Dodonpa? The same guy that kidnapped Master Hammet?" Ivan asked incredulously.

"Duh." Garet rolled his eyes, "How many guys walk around flashing the name 'Dodonpa' on them?"

"Yeah, well… it seems we have a common enemy.  Alex.  He wanted us to bring Alex back and lock him up here in exchange for a boat to pursue him with."

"Why use one of Dodonpa's boats?" Piers inquired.  "I'm sure our boat is much faster."

"Yeah, but we wouldn't know where to go…" Jenna answered, "Felix told us to meet him in Gondowan Passage."

"Impossible!" Piers declared immediately.  "Without the access to the Wings of Anemos, we could never make it.  Not only have we wasted time on this battle, but our ship is literally _stranded_ right outside of this town.  Felix has the Hover Jade, and without it, we can't get to Gondowan Passage in time."

"Correction…" Jenna smiled mischievously.  "Felix _had_ the Hover Jade.  He gave it to me before I came back." She took out the shining ruby and handed it carefully to Piers.  "Careful.  You hold the only thing that hasn't made us fail yet."

"Felix gave you the Hover Jade, huh?" Garet thought to himself out loud… "So the bloke's got a brain after all…"

"Yeah well," Jenna struck back annoyed that this simpleton had enough nerve to insult her brother, "Not everyone can be as dumb as you… otherwise, we wouldn't have gotten so far."

"Hey…" Garet grumbled, "That was uncalled for…"

"Don't mention it." Jenna said as she headed to the ship at a full sprint.  Piers, Ivan, and Garet followed her shortly, with Piers quickly catching up and Ivan leveling to Jenna.  After all, Piers had longer legs, Jenna was quick, Ivan was light, and Garet… well, he let himself go over time and he came last.  You can't be the biggest man in Vale and still have a good track record now, could you?

They came upon the ship with an eerie smell, which Piers refused to accept as _musty_.  It seemed Garet had an accident after his first try of hard liquor.  Apparently, the big man can't handle it.  They boarded the ship quickly.  "All aboard!" Piers bellowed, "Next stop! Gondowan Passage!"


	4. Explanations

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter Four (Explanations):**

Felix helmed a small ship and was quickly approaching south. Up ahead, he could see the target. The Starsearcher. Alex would be aboard that ship along with Kraden. He concentrated hard, allowing his mind to wander on the possible outcomes. After all, strategizing was one of his specialties. It was he and Alex that solved the mysteries of Mercury and Venus Lighthouses. It was also he that led a band of Adepts across Weyard to light the remaining two, despite the lack of experience. His hazel eyes focused ahead as the Starsearcher veered to the east in the direction of Alhafra. Wonderful, he thought to himself, we're heading to the direction of that stuck up little windbag.

Isaac's voice drifted from the mast's top, "East, Felix!"

"I know!" Felix answered. He turned the Lunara east hoping that Alex didn't gain too much time on them. "Damn!" Felix cursed, "At this rate, we're not going to be able to make it to Gondowan Passage!"

"He's heading for the Sea of Time!" Isaac called down. "We're going to lose him!" Felix frowned as sweat dripped from his eyebrow. Of course Isaac was right. Felix knew it was right as well. He just didn't want to admit it. 

Something caught his eye back where they had come from. It flew in the skies like a bird from afar, but Felix knew it was no bird. "Judgment!" He called. It was time for some help.

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Piers maneuvered the ship in the air, watching for any sign of hot pursuit below them. But what came as a surprise was not on the ocean surface, but to the east. A winged angel dressed in battle armor with a horned helmet, sword, and lion-head cannon descended from the heavens. It stopped as it was level with the ship, and fired downwards, into the Sea of Time. There was a brief pause as the streak of light disappeared in the fog. Suddenly, a rush of water was heard. The next sight was scary beyond belief. A fifty foot wall of water charged from the Sea of Time carrying an ancient ship and a smaller modern one. They were caught in the wave and pretty soon, they would be too, if they didn't do something.

But there was nothing they could do. "Brace yourself!" Piers called to the othes as he entered the door where they were congregated and held on to something. The impact was severe sendind the four on the ship crashing to the ground, dazed. Back before the lighthouses were dormant, when the four hadn't met yet, the impact would've sure knocked them unconscious, but they only lay there, helpess and unsure of how much time had gone on. It seemed like hours until they hit the shores of Champa.

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"Get him, Isaac!" Felix cheered as Isaac raised his sword. They were outside of Piers's ship. A ghostly aura surrounded his friend and darted up quickly becoming a yellow sword that quickly darted back down.

Isaac screamed an unearthly battle cry as his Gaia Blade took Alex down. "No!" Alex said desperately as he crashed to his knees. Isaac and Felix ran to the downed water adept and waited for the others. They didn't have to wait long. Piers was the first to emerge. He tumbled out of the ship in a heap, coughing and choking for breath. Next was Jenna. She leaped off the ship in fatigue and crashed painfully on the ground. Ivan struggled down, a complete mess, but nonetheless intact. He was dragging a sleeping gorilla of a Fire Adept. In one last push, he rolled Garet onto the ramp and watched him tumble with a thud.

Felix grabbed Alex bodily and joisted him up, while Isaac used his Halt Psyenergy to bind him. Ivan concentrated hard as he conjured a Twister to right the ship.

The trip to Lunpa was uneventful. Alex woke several times, but his body was far gone in its usual limit and he was too tired to stay awake. Kraden had awoke with absolutely no idea where he was. Apparently, he had not woken up since he was in Vale, which came as quite a shock to the old man. There they were, the old crew, back in the flying ship, just as they had been a year ago. Dodonpa welcomed the three ships as they sailed to his private dock via river.

"This calls for a celebration!" Dodonpa smiled at them, "You may stay at Lunpa for the night without expense!"

"I appreciate the offer--" Felix tried to refuse, but Garet cut him off.

"Oh don't be so sore. We should stay! I say we've earned it. Besides, aren't you hungry?" Garet's stomach growled fiercly and he prodded it with his finger. "I'm absolutely starving here." Felix could only raise an eyebrow.

"Well, I suppose we could stay for the night." He conceded. In truth, he did not trust Dodonpa. How could he bestow trust on someone who was not only suspected of killing his father, but became known throughout Angara as Dodonpa the Evil Thief, kin of Lunpa the Righteous Thief?

The celebrations bored Felix. Several of the local women had tried to tempt him. They danced in front of him, egging him to join them, but Felix thought too much about Sheba. In finality, he proceeded to Lunpa's jail, which had some irony to it. How could Lunpa, a town of thieves hold a jail? Who did they imprison, innocent men?

Felix walked in examining the room illuminated by multiple torches. The guard wasn't here. He'd sneaked off to the celebration and left Alex unguarded. No doubt he thought Alex wouldn't escape, but Felix knew Alex. Where there's a will, there's a way, and Alex definitely had the will. "Hello, Alex." He greeted.

Alex sat on the stony floor of the damp prison. He leaned against a crate behind him. "Well if it isn't my good friend Felix. How nice of you to pay a friend a visit."

"You aren't my friend, Alex." Felix growled. "You tried to trick us and use us to try to achieve what you alone could not. No, Alex. You're not my friend. I wouldn't trust you at all now... or ever for that matter."

"Your words pain me, Felix." Alex pouted. "Was I not the one who aided you and your party atop Jupiter Lighthouse? Surely you could not have won the battle with Agatio and Karst if you had been at half strength from the beginning."

"That was only to ensure that we light it. You knew Agation and Karst were to dumb to carry on from there. They couldn't make it to Mars Lighthouse, what with them living in Prox and all. They're bound to protect it."

"Yes." Alex smiled. "Just as I was bound to the protection of Mercury. But I managed to solve that problem quickly."

"You hurt Mia in the process." Felix reasoned. "I may not be good friends with her, but I see her expression everytime you're mentioned. She feels disgusted and hurt that she can't trust you. But she also feels love for the old Alex."

"All this at a single glance?" Alex laughed. "And in any case, as I have said, I cannot remain the same Alex she knew forever." His guard dropped for a moment. "There was a time where I could've been the same forever. I was a foolish boy seeking the love of a girl. And still... she denied me. She couldn't possibly love me that much if she did that."

"No. You're wrong, Alex. She cares for you as she would a broher. Isn't that enough?" Felix countered.

"Would it be fine if Sheba cared for you as a brother and not a lover?"

"What are you talking about?" Felix stood up. "Sheba and I are only--"

"Pity. Did you really think your affection was concealed efficiently during our time together? Felix, you were read like an open book. You were the wild card, the reason why Saturos and Menardi didn't let you fight. You were unpredictable. The ends justufy the means, but that's not you."

"I don't want to be like you." Felix snarled. "Not a monster."

"I'm not a monster." Alex's face dimmed. "I... I just made a mistake... that's all."

"Why did you want the Golden Sun so bad?" Felix sighed as he sat down again. He had successfully averted the subject from Sheba. Alex's face was cloaked in darkness and it was difficult to tell what his expression was.

"Power." Alex answered. "When Saturos and Menardi first visited Imil, it was I who first suspected their plans. I followed them into Mercury Lighthouse as I thought I was the only one who could. I did not want Mia in danger. I noticed that they were easily more powerful than I, but quite differently when it came to intellect. Even they realized this. They told me of Prox, of their mission which they should like to fullfill one day, bust most importantly is what interested me the most, the Golden Sun. To them, the Golden Sun would bring their town back, but they weren't very smart. I realized that the Golden Sun could bring enormous power to those who harness it. I realized that The Wise One's skill could be surpassed. And I ached for it."

Felix looked at him in horror. "Shocked, Felix?" He asked amused, "Don't be. You of all people know that I am more ambitious than most. Together, Saturos, Menardi, their men, and I ventured into Sol Sanctum four years ago. I seperated from them, taking an alternate path to pursue the history of Mount Aleph hoping to uncover something about the Golden Sun. I did end up unearthing something. It said that the power of the Golden Sun would be bestowed upon the one that stood atop the mountain when the four beacons meet. Unfortunately, Saturos, Menardi, and their men triggered a trap that sent a boulder rolling down the mountain. It also caved the room I was in, trapping me. They thought me dead, but I managed to get out through various gaps that the rocks had not been able to fill. I met them at Prox, realizing that they had taken you and three other people from Vale hostage."

Felix nodded. Alex's story tied in with what he remembered. "But you were at the top of Mount Aleph when the four beacons lit. Didn't you receive the power? Or did The Wise One end up being more of a challenge for you?"

"The Wise One is very powerful. He tricked me by transferring some of Mars's power to revive people atop the lighthouse and some more into Isaac."

"Isaac?" Felix was now alarmed. "Are you telling me, Alex, that Isaac is uber-powerful?"

"He has not come to realize it yet, but he is. Didn't you notice that he has not tired out from his journeys with you? Whereas you have such bags under your eyes."

"He _did_ have a mission before coming with me. He journeyed to Bilibin to pursue some misfits."

"Ah, yes... that would be my fault. Several people attempted to rob me on my way to Mount Aleph. I told them that if they let me pass, I would grant them great power." Alex laughed. "Some didn't believe me, and they still have yet to fall from the sky. The ones that did... well, Isaac dispatched them quickly enough."

"You really are a monster, Alex." Felix breathed. "Just one question. What do you hope to gain now?"

Alex closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again with a look of total determination. "While I lay, half dead below Mount Aleph, I noticed that I could wander the rubble in my sleep. I examined the ruins and found an ancient wall that was well enough for my curiosity."

"What do you mean?" Felix asked curiously.

"I mean that it told me many things. Things that portrayed a second Golden Sun."

"A what?!" Felix was now unduly alarmed. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I'm locked up. What am I going to do? Light Luna's lighthouses in my sleep? I may be able to leave my body, but I'm not that powerful."

"Luna's lighthouses?" Felix was disturbed. "You mean there are more?"

"Of course." Alex confirmed. "Four more to be exact. Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto lighthouses."

"Does that mean there are more elements?" Felix asked.

Alex laughed. "No, Felix. But you would need the aid of new Adepts from around the lighthouses to fullfill your task. They have different psyenergy, but of the same element. Saturn is aligned with Fire, Uranus with Earth, Neptune with Water, and Pluto with Wind. I discovered that my water psyenergy was not different from Neptune's as they have the special ability of Warp. You and Isaac are, of course, aligned with Venus, hailing from Vale."

"Piers?" Felix asked.

"A true Mercury Adept." Alex nodded. "Once the four of Luna's lighthouses are lit, the beacons will meet at the place where the Elemental Stars came from."

"That can't be, then." Felix waved aside. "Mount Aleph is gone."

Alex laughed. "Oh no, Felix. When I said Elemental Stars, I did not mean Sol's Elemental Stars, I meant Luna's. They are located in the ancient city in the sky. I believe you've heard of it. It's called Anemos. You see... when Alchemy was sealed, the power was too great to be locked in just four lighthouses. It ripped the fabric of reality in two,, seperating it with Gaia Falls. The result were two worlds, so similar and yet so different with their own set of elemental lighthouses."

"So Alchemy hasn't been unleashed?" Felix asked.

"In this world it has, but the Gaia Falls will continue to engulf their world. Eventually, it will continue with this world and with the Luna Lighthouses gone, it cannot be stopped." Alex watched the effect of his words shock Felix.

"I must alert the others of this." He stood up and rushed out of the jail. Alex waited several seconds before sighing and opening his mouth.

"You can come out now, Dodonpa." The crate behind him moved aside revealing a doorway. Dodonpa stood smirking, apparently having listened to quite a lot.

"How long did you know I was there?" He asked curiously as he walked out of the doorway into the dark dingy cave.

"Quite a while..." Alex frowned. "I noticed someone else listening in against the vibrations of the crate when I mentioned Luna's Lighthouses."

"Yes." Dodonpa smiled, "It was all gibberish to me at first, but some things stood out, like the eradication of all life as we know it for example."

"Don't be so dramatic, Dodonpa." Alex smiled, "It would take much longer for that to occur, possibly a thousand years, what with the other world out of its hibernation."

"Is the power of Alchemy that great?" Dodonpa asked.

"You have no idea." Alex nodded. "Now if you please, I do not intend to stay in this cell for the majority of my life. I wish to get along with this quest." 

"Are you positive it was wise to inform Felix of this? They could be quite troublesome." Dodonpa advised.

"Yes, I cannot light the last four by myself, however intelligent I am. They will be able to achieve it, and I will not be so careless this time. I will achieve the power of the Blue Moon. With my three quarters of the Golden Sun and the power of Luna's Blue Moon, I will be unstoppable."

"Don't underestimate them." Dodonpa laughed, "As I recall, they defeated you last time."

"And it is exactly that kind of arrogance that will lead to their downfall. Besides, I notice Sheba isn't among their numbers. She must've started having dreams of Anemos."

"How do you know that?" Dodonpa asked. He examined the blue-haired Adept in front of him.

"Just a hunch. I traveled with her for a while, did I not?" Alex boasted. "Did you finish what I requested?"

"Yes," Dodonpa said, "I retrieved the Black Crystal and Lemuria Ship. I don't understand why, though. The Lunara looks like it could outstrip it easily."

"Don't be ridiculous. Lemurian ships may not look like much, but I can guarantee you it will be much faster than you think. Not that it matters, after I leave, you might never hear of me again."

"I doubt that, Alex." Dodonpa shook his head. "Nonetheless, I wish you good luck." He offered his hand and Alex shook it. "Come on, Alex, let's go." He summoned up his newfound power and a ghostly white hand moved the crate back to its original position.


	5. Things Go South

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter Four (Things Go South):**

"He was right here!" Felix gaped.  "How could he have gotten out? Surely someone would've noticed him walk out!" Felix scrunched up his face in disbelief.  Alex had escaped from custody.  He had talked with the blue-haired Adept and found out some alarming information.  When he went to get the others, he was gone! "It's impossible!"

"Maybe not, Felix." Piers interrupted.  "I am confident that you would not be so careless as to let him just get away.  Perhaps there is more to the cell than what we see…"

"Have…" Garet started, "Have you lost your crackers, Piers? This is a jail… in Lunpa."

"Precisely.  One would think that a prison in a thieves' town would have a back door."

"You're absolutely right, Piers." Kraden walked in.  He had joined in the celebrations while Felix was talking to Alex.  He had only just heard of Alex's escape.  "I agree.  There is more to this cell than meets the eye."

"Would you guys tell me something before we go get all paranoid?" Garet asked irritably.  "Would you tell me why there's a random crate in the middle of the cell?"

"Well actually, Garet… it's against the wall and—Garet you're _brilliant_!" Ivan exclaimed as he opened the cell gates frantically and walked in with Kraden following him hastily.  Ivan bent down and inspected the spot between the walls and the crate.  "Garet, Isaac, Felix… one of you please move this crate! I can feel air blowing through!"

Felix moved through the doors swiftly.  "Move!" He waved the crate aside with a ghostly white hand that materialized from his fingertips.  "Let's go everyone!"

"Wait!" Isaac slowed down.  Everyone stopped, but Felix exploded.

"What are we waiting for? Alex is getting away!"

"I know but we have to think! Piers, you have to get your ship ready just in case we're in for a chase again."

"A fine idea, Isaac." Kraden piped.  "I should go with him.  I would only slow you down."

"Good idea." Jenna commented.  "Garet, you should go, too.  You might slow us down…"

"You don't have to be mean, Jenna." Garet pouted.  "But I will go with Piers and Kraden.  They might need someone strong to… y'know… do some lifting."

"Right." Jenna rolled her eyes.  "Okay, let's go.  Felix already left us behind." Sure enough, the brown haired adept was gone.  No doubt he had already pursued Alex.

Isaac, Jenna, Mia, and Ivan ran into the cave after Felix.

*******************************************************************

Felix scrambled out of the exit.  He stood near Dodonpa's lair.  "Damn it!" He cursed.  "And I trusted that little scumbag!" He ran to the entrance, but was stopped by the guards.

"Hello, _friend_."  Guard one emphasized.  He stepped forward putting a hand up to stop Felix.  "I'm sorry, but Dodonpa doesn't want company at the moment."

"Get out of my way." Felix ordered.  He was about to sweep past the guard when the second one spoke up.

"Be careful, _friend_." Guard two warned, "We do not accept orders from travelers." The two did not even try to conceal their hostility any longer.

"I don't want to hurt you." Felix threatened as he tried to walk past them again, but he was pushed roughly back.

"I don't think you understand just how many of us there are." Guard one said.  As he finished saying this, a dozen guards walked from the shadows.  They brandished their blades with a manic look upon them.  Felix rolled his eyes.  "Judgment!"

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Isaac's breathing was labored as the ground beneath him rose in incline.  Explosions erupted from aboveground and bits of rock and dirt started to fall about.  "I think Felix's started the fun without us," Isaac said in between breaths.  They scrambled out of the exit to see Dodonpa's lair.  Along the entrance were scattered men lying on the ground in pain.  "Well, at least we've got a clear path."

They walked through corridors and rooms, passing by unconscious people on the ground or people on the ground awake, shaking with great pain until they finally arrived in Dodonpa's throne room.  It looked like someone had been looking for something.  In a corner, they spotted a treasure chest that had a broken lock and it had been tossed aside.  A door that led to the dock was already open.  They didn't waste any time.  Not even bothering for conversation, they synchronized thoughts and ran into the doorway, descended the stairs and ran through the passages at a sprint.

******************************************************************* 

Felix staggered out of the exit and cursed.  A ship he knew too well as Saturos and Menardi's ship was sailing away.  Dodonpa was nowhere to be seen.  No doubt he had already made himself scarce.  No matter.  Felix already knew where Alex was headed.  His head throbbed.  How many people had gotten in his way? About thirty, and they were all taken down pretty hard.  He himself did not get the better deal.  Not only did his head hurt, but there was a gash on the back of his head and a deep cut on his left forearm.  He cast Cure on it quickly, before he lost too much blood.

Isaac, Jenna, Ivan and Mia staggered out of the exit out of breath.  "Are you okay, Felix?"

"Yeah," Felix's eyes wandered to the ground.  He longed to scratch the itch his gash on the head was causing.  He hoped the others wouldn't notice and think him some sort of cold-hearted man.  No better than Dodonpa.  "I'm fine."

"You're bleeding!" Mia gasped.  She cast Earnest Ply on Felix quickly.  Felix braced himself and sure enough, the healing tissue was no walk in the park.  "Is it better now?"

"Yes, thank you, Mia." Felix put on a weak smile as he rubbed the spot where he'd been hit earlier.  It was just a bruise.  No big.  He didn't have to become Garet all of a sudden.

"I'm really sorry we lost him," Ivan apologized.  "I guess we just weren't quick enough."

"No." Felix looked up for any sign of Piers and the flying ship.  "I know where he's headed.  And I think it's best we head there now."

"Where exactly is there?" Jenna asked rudely.  All that sprinting made her legs all tired and she was just a grouch when it was close to that time of month (No, people, she is not a werewolf)

"Anemos, the city in the sky.  Alex is trying to get the power of the Golden Sun." Felix explained.  "His plans were ruined by the Wise One last time.  So he plans on lighting the four remaining lighthouses and getting the legendary power of the Blue Moon."

"That's impossible! The lighthouses are already lit! We traveled across Weyard." Jenna insisted, "There are only four lighthouses and we lit them all."

"No, Jenna." Felix clarified, "There are four more to be lit in order to release the Blue Moon.  This bit of information was why I left Alex's cell to get the group together.  If we don't light the four remaining lighthouses, all of Weyard will cease to exist."

"Now where have I heard that before…" Isaac sighed.  "Nonetheless, I agree with you, Felix.  It is our duty as Weyard's protectors, being the ones who started this whole mess, to save it once again from destruction." A flying ship flew over the mountain landing directly in front of them.

"There's more to it than that." Felix told them.  "But I'll tell you on the way.  I'm sure Piers and Kraden would like the bit of info themselves as well."

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"So if we don't light the four remaining lighthouses, even Weyard will cease to exist?" Kraden asked.

"That's what Alex told me." Felix said, "He said that the other world and Weyard are bound because they were both one world at one point, which was The Lost Age.  Since Alchemy was released here, the other world is engulfed by the falls much faster.  When the four lighthouses cease to exist there, there is no stopping Gaia Falls from destroying the rest of Weyard."

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" asked Ivan suspiciously.  "I mean, what if he's just sending us on a wild goose chase while he fulfills his real agenda."

"I think he's telling the truth.  And in any case, what if he is telling the truth? We can't run that risk!" Felix answered.

"This is all very interesting." Kraden pondered out loud.  "Of course, we have to go.  It's for Weyard as well.  And a world full of things just waiting to be discovered! Oh, I can't wait! When are we going?"

"Now.  There's no time to waste.  We have no idea what waits for us on the other side of Gaia Falls, but we have to conquer it.  We also have to keep our eyes open for other Adepts that could help us." Felix informed.

"Hey, look!" Garet called from the outside.  "There it is!" Everyone followed him out.  Sure enough, they were approaching their destination.  No one could resist taking a look at Weyard's mysterious wonder.

"Wow!" Kraden gaped, "Even though I've been near it before, it's still so overwhelming.  It's so huge and mighty!" Everyone nodded.  What could one say when facing Gaia Falls.

"I'm glad you feel great about this, Kraden.  Because from here, I don't see where we're going to end up." Garet snorted, "I mean… haven't we heard stories of people falling off Gaia Falls?"

"Don't worry, Garet." Piers said confidently, "We've got a flying ship.  We can just fly over!" He took out the Hover Jade from his pouch.

"I guess..." Garet admitted nervously, closing his eyes tight.  "Tell me when this is over.  I can't look."

"Garet," Jenna rolled her eyes, "You can be such a wimp sometimes." She could not, however, succeed to hide her fearful gaze at Gaia Falls.  It wasn't a problem as everyone else was looking at it and Garet had his eyes closed.

"Hover!" Piers smiled happily.  The ship floated in mid air and glided forward past the falls.  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they looked down to see that they were well over Gaia Falls.  Beside it was a huge blackness that seemed to stretch on forever.

"Hey Garet?" Ivan called, "It's over." Garet opened his eyes and practically had a heart attack when he took a look over the railing.

"We're so high up!" Garet panicked.  "Why are we so high?"

Jenna rolled her eyes and slapped Garet on the shoulder, "Don't be such a baby.  Would you rather we not hover and get past the falls the hard way?" Garet shook his head jerkily.  "Good, now come on, Piers! Feed some speed to this boat.  I'd like to see this brave new world Felix was talking about!"

"An excellent suggestion, Jenna!" Kraden agreed.  "What do you say, Piers?" Everyone looked to Piers who was sweating profusely.  He was focused on the Hover Jade so much, one would think he was worried about something… Finally, he turned to them, still keeping the ship flying.  

They proceeded on for a few more seconds until, "Uhm… guys?" Piers piped nervously.

"What's up?" Everyone asked, now dying to know what the matter with Piers was.

"I'm out of psyenergy." Piers confessed, ready to faint.  Everyone paled.  A moment passed, then, the ship dropped over the falls into the dark abyss…

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A/N: HAHAHAHAHA CLIFFHANGER BABY!!! Next Chapter: Over the Falls 


	6. Over The Falls

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter Six (Over The Falls):**

Felix opened his eyes slowly.  Immediately, the pain set in.  His head throbbed uncontrollably and his joints were all sore.  No surprise.  What did come as a surprise was how he was completely dry.  You'd think that after plummeting down from the top of Gaia Falls, he'd be soaked and this ship would be underwater by now, but surprisingly, it wasn't.  He sat up, his breathing labored.  He took a look around to find that the others were scattered around the ship.  Thankfully no one had falled overboard, otherwise, it would take a long time to find them.  He got up shakily, falling over once, but getting it right the second time around.  He leaned on the railing as he walked up to Kraden, the nearest person to him, who was lying on his stomach a few yards away.  "Kraden." He shook the old scholar.  "Wake up."

The wizened scholar's eyes fluttered open.  He looked at Felix in shock.  "W-we're alive!" The old man grinned but twisted his face in pain quickly afterward.  "Wake the others.  I'm gonna need a minute to recover from my fall." Felix nodded and started to walk off.

Isaac was sprawled on a crate that had moved against the railing.  One of his arms was draped over and his head hung as the railing choked his neck.  Felix grabbed Isaac's shoulders and held him upright, feeling his friend's neck crack a little.  "Isaac." He nudged the Venus Adept.  "Hey Isaac.  You have to wake up." Isaac didn't wake.  "Come on, Isaac! Wake up!" Felix ordered impatiently.  He shook his friend until his eyes fluttered open with confusion.

"Sorry, Felix." Isaac apologized.  "Just so tired.  My body hurts all over." He grabbed the nearby railing and hoisted himself up.  "Say… where are we?"

Felix shook his head.  "Couldn't tell you.  Let's go and wake the others." Isaac nodded and struggled to the nearest railing, while Felix hurried forward until he came upon Ivan.  "Hey, Ivan." Ivan opened his eyes, confused at first, then panicked.  His gaze met Felix's eyes and he settled.

Ivan put his hands on the wall he was sprawled against and used it to get himself up.  He let go of the wall, testing his balance but quickly fell over again.  Felix caught the young Jupiter Adept.  "Thanks." Ivan said appreciatively.  "Have the others woken up yet?"

"Yes." Isaac interrupted.  Garet and Mia were with him.  Garet was whining about his painful joints.  Kraden, Piers, and Jenna were behind him, obviouslt shaken.  "We're all fine." Isaac looked around carefully.  "We just need to find out just where exactly we are."

"Well we know one thing is for certain." Kraden observed.  Everyone looked quizically at him.  "We know we're not in Weyard anymore." Everyone saddened at the mention of their home.

"Come on." Felix urged, trying to push out the vivid images of Vale flashing in his mind.  "We've got to catch Alex."

"You know…" Garet joined in after giving up on his whining.  "We wouldn't be here if we hadn't trusted that foul thief.  I can't believe you trusted him, Felix." Felix looked down.

"Don't be stupid, Garet!" Jenna flared.  "It's not Felix's fault he made a simple mistake.  Why, how many have you made?"

"Calm down, Jenna." Isaac sighed.  "Even if Dodonpa wasn't involved, fate would still have brought us here.  Things happen for a reason."

"Are you implying that we're destined to be here?" Piers inquired.

"That would be quite possible," Kraden meditated, "After all, books over a thousand years old foretold of your lighting the lighthouses of Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars one day."

"Oh please!" Garet rolled his eyes dramatically.  "Those books are all lies! It could've been any four people!"

Kraden frowned and jumped up.  "All lies, huh? Well those _books_ taught you how to use psyenergy and without it, you probably wouldn't have survived your trip throughout Weyard.  And I'd say those four books weren't lying, considering they've been able to predict the happenings of events that will occur in a thousand years!"

Garet stepped back, alarmed at the scholar's reaction.  No one bothered to defend him, since it was partially Garet's fault of Kraden's explosion.  However, Kraden's wrath ended quickly as the old man ran to the other side of the ship, then back to their side.  He examined the ocean waters from afar, looking for any sign of land.

"Hey look! It's an island!" Kraden called out.  Everyone looked at the direction Kraden was pointing.

"And not just any island!" Ivan spoke up, excited."

"That's Crossbone Isle!" Isaac gasped.

"Crossbone Isle?" Kraden was confused.  "We never went to any Crossbone Isle." Everyone but Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia were now confused.  They looked to Isaac, expecting an answer.

"You guys weren't with us when we went there." Isaac informed the others.  "We went there as a side quest before entering Venus Lighthouse."

"Wait." Piers interrupted, "I thought you, Garet, Ivan, and Mia only traveled throughout Angara on foot." Felix, Jenna, and Kraden nodded, apparently thinking of the same thing.

"We did." Isaac answered.  "But you could get to Crossbone Isle another way." He paused, watching the others grow more confused.  "Through Suhalla Dessert." Everyone grew alarmed.

Jenna laughed sarcastically.  "Oh, right.  And a huge dinosaur that just happened to have wind controlling abilities accidentally sends you flying into the sky where you randomly fall at an island beyond Gaia Falls?"

"As a matter of fact…" Isaac said unnervingly, "that's exactly what happened.  Right before exiting Suhalla Dessert, we discovered that there was an alternate path, one that was shown to us by hidden footprints of a Djinni in the sand.  Using Ivan's Reveal, we were able to exploit the path and capture the Fire Djinni.  It also led us to a cave that twisted to the east.  It led us to an enormous tornado that was caused by a Tempest Lizard.  Unfortunately, I was out of psyenergy at the time and before we knew it, we were catapaulted into the sky.  We managed to arrive on the island in one piece, but since the monsters there are extremely tough and hard to beat… we stayed to train for our final battle with Saturos and Menardi."

"I'd say it came in handy." Felix commented.  "I didn't think you had a chance against them, but you managed to take them down and their Dragon form."

"Yes." Isaac answered.  "There, we discovered a monster called Deadbeard.  He was even tougher than the Fusion Dragon.  He was aboard an abandoned ghost vessel.  I think it was one of the ships of Kalay that was lost in the Karagol."

"How did one of the ships of Kalay end up at Crossbone Isle from the Karagol?" Kraden asked curiously.

"I think there's an alternate way to get to Crossbone Isle that we haven't found yet.  After all, we never really piloted a ship and explored there.  Possibly, there's another Tempest Lizard that has made a home in one of the chunks of land that is near the shore." Isaac answered truthfully.

"That would make sense." Piers said.  "In Lemuria, we have legends of these kinds of monsters.  I have not actually heard of these monsters personally until now.  I was beginning to doubt their existence as I had explored a majority of Weyard."

"True." Kraden agreed.  "Maybe we could visit them one day, Piers, and explore the mystery for ourselves some day."

"Perhaps so, Kraden." Piers nodded, "I'm positive that King Hydros would like me to take you up on the offer.  But our priorities come first and those are to save Weyard and this world.  We must light the four remaining lighthouses."

Everyone nodded in agreement.  "And to do that, we'd have to go to Anemos.  That's where Luna's elemental stars are located."

"We also have to find Alex." Ivan advised.  "He may be using us to achieve his own ends again."

"Oh, Ivan." Kraden shook his head, "I'm afraid there is no doubt in my mind that Alex _is_ using us to achieve his own ends.  But you are right, we must find him so that we may find out what his plans are."

"I have a vague idea." Felix joined in, "But I'm afraid we don't have anything too reliable.  Our best bet is going to Anemos.  As much as I would like to take Alex down first, I think it's wise to see to it that the lighthouses are lit first."

"So it's settled then?" Kraden asked, "We light the lighthouses until we find out about any sign of Alex." Everyone nodded.  "Then it's agreed then.  Next stop… The city in the sky of Anemos!"


	7. Brave New World

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **

**Chapter Six (Brave New World):**

The ship sailed onward, past Crossbone Isle and finally spotted land after a few minutes.  It was huge, perhaps the size of a fourth of Weyard.  They crashed on the sands of its shore and got ready to board the island, noting the faraway town that rested afar.  The party of eight walked out the flying ship.  They were still visibly shaken, but had not given Piers a hard time for running out of psyenergy.

They walked to the town, not bothering for conversation.  Once in a while, Garet would speak up with an, "Are we there yet?" Or a, "How much longer do we have to walk?" No one bothered to answer the Fire Adept.

They approached the gates of the town.  "Halt!" A guard said.  He examined them all in turn.  "What do you think, Deak? They are a strange party."

"Yes." The other guard nodded.  "Should we let them in?" He looked to the other guard, then back at the adepts.  He examined them carefully in turn.  "They don't look like they're from any place we know."

"Maybe they're travelers from Anemos?" The first guard suggested, but the second guard shook his head.

"I've been to Anemos and I know what the civilians look like.  These people are clearly not from Anemos." The second guard named Deak explained, "Dean, you should go fetch Deirdre.  Perhaps her powers will be of use."

"Good idea." The first guard agreed.  He rushed back into the busy streets of their town.

Kraden walked up in front of the group.  "Excuse me." He called to Deak.  Deak looked quizically at him.

"Yes?" He asked curiously.  What could this old man want?

"You've seen Anemos?" Kraden asked.  The others were intently listening.

"Yes, I have." Deak answered conversationally.  "Why? Do you have any intention of going there?"

"As a matter of fact," Kraden answered, "We have.  Could you tell us how to get there?"

Deak shook his head.  "Even if I told you, it would be very hard to get there.  The city of Anemos is surrounded by fog and rises above Gaia Falls.  It is rumored that the ancient god of Zeus guards it."

"Ancient god of Zeus?" Kraden turned to the rest of the group.  "That sounds an awful lot like Lemuria, don't you think?"

"Yes." Piers confirmed.  "Maybe there are other cities like Lemuria that we do not know about.  After all, we only just learned of this world after our lighting of the lighthouses."

Kraden nodded and turned back to Deak the guard.  "Please tell us.  I am positive that we could get past whatever obstacles guard Anemos."

"If you insist, but I highly doubt that an old man and several children could fare against Zeus.  Before the Aurora Borealis appeared, it might have been possible, but Zeus is a mighty adversary."

"He can't be any harder than the Doom Dragon." Garet said loudly.  Deak jumped in alarm.

"Doom Dragon?" He gasped.  "Are you… the Chosen Ones?" He gazed at the travelers' weapons and realized that they were just not normal.  There was a supernatural aura about them.

"Er…" Kraden didn't know what to say.  "What exactly do you know about these… Chosen Ones."

"The Chosen Ones are said to come from a faraway place." Deak explained.  "They have fought mighty battles, one being with a creature known as a Doom Dragon and have lit their world's lighthouses.  They bring with them a ship bearing the Wings of Anemos."

Kraden turned to the group.  "That sounds an awful bit like us, doesn't it?" Everyone nodded happily.

Isaac stepped up beside Kraden.  "Yes, we have fought mighty battles and the Doom Dragon.  We have also lit Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars Lighthouses." He added proudly.

"And," Piers spoke up from inside the group.  "We do bring with us a flying ship.  The wings were conceived from the Ruins of Anemos near Contigo."

"Hmmm…" Deak said, taking it all in slowly.  "That explains why Anemos was unable to make any more of these wings.  The plans were lost when the city was literally ripped from another world a thousand years ago."

Suddenly, the first guard arrived bringing with him a tall, pretty girl.  Piers gaped and the girl blushed.  "So these are the travelers Dean tells me of?"

"Yes.  And from our conversation," Deak continued, "I'd say they were The Chosen Ones."

"You mean the ones the Anemos used to tell us of?" Deirdre said skeptically.  "I did not know you still believed in such stories.  I thought only children took it to heart."

Deak flushed and looked at the ground, finding a new interest to his leather boots.  "Yes, well, ma'am… your father believed in them."

"My father was half insane." Deirdre chuckled.  "Still, there is no doubt in my mind that he did make a difference."

"Yes." Dean nodded proudly.  "King Arthur was a man of many words."

"Don't forget his sword." Deak beamed.  "The sword of Excalibur.  Forged a thousand years ago."

"Excalibur?" Kraden looked to Isaac.  "Did we not have a weapon called Excalibur back in Weyard?"

Isaac nodded.  "I left it in Vale and took the Gaia Blade with me."

"What?" Deirdre interrupted.  "That's impossible.  Excalibur is one of a kind! The only one that own a blade of the name is my father… Arthur."

"You say Excalibur was forged a thousand years ago?" Kraden reasoned.  "I believe that was at the time of the Lost Age."

"The Lost Age?" Piers finally stopped staring at Deirdre.  "You think it's possible that the Excalibur they speak of was forged in Weyard?"

"It _is_ quite possible." Kraden confirmed.  "Where is this… Sir Arthur?"

"You must come from far away if you don't know the legendary Sir Arthur." Dean laughed.  "He's a hero, with very special powers."

Kraden nodded.  "You think this Sir Arthur is the man destined to help us light the first lighthouse?" No one knew what to say.  "I'm not sure either, but we must find him and find out."

"Light the lighthouses? The Lost Age?" Deak thought out loud.  "We _do_ have stories of a Lost Age of man, but we thought they were just stories.  As for lighting the lighthouses… do you mean Neptune lighthouse to the east?" The eight nodded.  "I'm afraid that is an impossible feat.  Even if you could get past the obstacles of the lighthouses and the monsters, you still don't possess the stars needed to light them."

"You know of the elemental stars?" Kraden sounded, sufficiently impressed.

"Of course, my father is a scholar since childhood." Deak informed.

"I'm afraid it is quite possible to light the lighthouses of this world, for we do know the location of the four elemental stars needed to light them."

"Four elemental stars?" Deirdre inquired. "Just what is the fourth for? There are only three lighthouses and they are so far away."

Kraden turned to Felix.  "Do you think it's possible that Gaia Falls has already started to erode one lighthouse just as it did to Mars?" Felix nodded, in thought.  "Yes, I thought so, too." He turned back to Deirdre.  "Tell me, what lighthouses do you know of here in…"

"Terra." Deirdre finished for him.  "There is Neptune to the east.  To the south of that is Uranus.  To the west of Uranus lies Pluto."

"What about Saturn?" Jenna asked Kraden.  

"Saturn is probably west of here." Kraden guessed, " We must hurry, we are running out of time.  Gaia Falls is eating away this world faster than Weyard."

"Hmmm…" Deirdre pondered for a second then.  "Come on, let's go to my house.  I'd like to be filled in on this."

A few minutes later, they were in a huge castle overlooking the town.  "Say," Kraden asked.  "What town is this exactly?"

"This is called London." Deirdre answered.  "Now just stand there, while I perform something." She stood in front of Kraden and focused hard.  After a few moments, the group was surprised to see a psyenergy aura encircling Deirdre.  She penetrated Kraden's mind barriers and saw into his thoughts.  "Hmmm…" She examined.  "I see…" After a couple of minutes, she stopped and looked at the group.  "I see… so you really aren't of this world.  You have been traveling so much.  I understand that time is against you.  My father can help.  I will send him to Neptune Lighthouse as soon as he arrives.  By that time, you should have gotten the elemental stars in Anemos.  I have no doubt that you will overcome Zeus, after all, half of your number has already overcome Poseidon, correct?"

"Poseidon?" Dean interrupted.  "You can't be serious! How could they defeat a mighty god?"

"Don't underestimate them, Dean." Deirdre warned.  "They have fought forces even mightier than Poseidon and have victored.  As a matter of fact…" She froze as she examined the group.  "One of them is not here, apparently having gone on a mission herself.  She and the blonde haired youth named Ivan have the mighty god of thunder Thor at their disposal."

Deak and Dean gaped.  "Thor?" They looked to Ivan in awe.  Ivan blushed a deep crimson.  "Yes.  It's all thanks to the Djinni we collected."

"I see…" Deirdre observed.  "Then am I right in assuming that the other three summons are gods as well?"

"Yes, Deirdre." Kraden answered, "The Venus summon is the mighty god wielding the power of the apocalypse.  The Mars summon wields the power of the heavens, and the Mercury summon wields the power of ice."

"I see…" Deirdre whispered.  "You must hurry to the Gates of Light deep in London's catacombs.  Once you solve the puzzle that blocks you, it will carry you to the high heavens to the place that guards Anemos.  Once you've gone through there, you will have a safe passage to the city."

"I don't think it's quite as simple as that…" Kraden looked to Deirdre.  "It will involve immense danger, won't it?"

"I'm afraid so." Deirdre confirmed.  "London catacombs consist of powerful monsters, all vanquished by my father.  They will be quite a challenge.  The puzzles alone are quite difficult.  Only the soldiers of Arthur have ever seen them, and even some of their numbers, however strong, perish."

"Sounds hard…" Garet whispered to Isaac and Felix, "let's do it."

Deirdre frowned.  "I am not sure whether your courage is to be acknowledged as admirable, or incredibly ignorant." Jenna burst out laughing.  Piers thought she looked a lot more beautiful when she was angry.

"Show us the way to the catacombs." Isaac accepted.  "If there's a way in, we'll find it…" He paused, then added, "we have to."

"Excellent." Deirdre applauded.  "Come with me." She ventured through several huge staircases and corridors and rooms until Garet could've sworn they were very deep underground.  "This is the second entrance to the catacombs.  The first in the town is blocked by a stone wall.  This one should make your journey easier."

"Thank you, Deirdre." Kraden smiled then, "Am I right in assuming that you are a Pluto Adept?"

Deirdre was taken aback. She finally returned the smile and nodded.  "Yes, I am a Pluto Adept.  My mother comes from the southwestern reaches.  I believe they are a Native American tribe."

"Then it is safe to assume that you have powers here similar to Ivan's own?" Kraden inquired.

"Yes.  I have already learned Reveal from birthright.  My father took me to Pluto Rock when I was younger to learn Mind Read.  Other than those two, my psyenergy is different from Ivan."

"How so?" Kraden asked.  "I have psyenergies that are aligned with Mercury, like Water Blessing and such.  I also have Wish."

"I have those psyenergies." Mia added.

"Deirdre, this may be come as a shock to you, but do you want to come along on our mission? I'm sure you're very knowledgable in this world."

Deirdre shook her head.  "No, it does not come as a shock.  I also cannot embark on your journey with you. I must rule London in the absence of my father.  I thank you for your offer, though."

"Ah…" Kraden processed.  "Goodbye then, Deirdre." He waved as the other waved goodbye as well.  They ran into the catacombs at a steady fast paced jog.  "What do you think, Felix? Does Deirdre play a role in the near future?"

"I'm no Jupiter Adept, Kraden." Felix answered.  "But as a hunch, I think she will.  She possesses some powerful psyenergies and the knowledge of our quest has more than tweaked her interests.  We'll have to wait and see…"

A monster leaped, having appeared as if it came from the shadows of the wall.  It was a gigantic bat.  "Megiddo!" Felix slashed fiercely.  The bat was dazed.  Piers ran by and slashed the gigantic bat, finishing it off.  They were making good time.

Pretty soon, they came upon a log rolling puzzle, then a torch which they had to use Blaze on.  It was quite easy for them.  Soon they reached a circular cavern with a bright ray of light emmanating in the center.  "This must be it." Kraden breathed.  "Let's go." They stepped into the circle.  All at once, they couldn't move and the light got brighter.  All they could see was white! Then… blackness…


	8. Cavalries Arrive

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **

**Chapter Eight (Cavalries Arrive):**

Felix's groaned.  His body ached tremendously, as if he'd been taken apart, limb by limb, taped together, then pulled apart again.  Strangely enough, that's almost what happened to them.  It seems the gateway was conceived before the most recent Teleport Lapis.  They had literally felt their bodies being ripped apart.  It would've made some of their numbers hurl, except no one had the stomachs to.  Felix stood up shakily, almost falling, but managing to lean against a rocky wall.  He stood there for a moment, dazed, but regained his composure.  He stretched for a second, hearing several cracks.  He walked to Isaac and shook his comrade awake.  "Wake up, Isaac." Isaac rolled over and continued his rhythmic breathing.  Felix sighed.  What should he do?

"Allow me to be of some assistance." Piers spoke up behind him.  Felix jumped.  He didn't know Piers was awake.  "Douse!" Isaac's eyes snapped open and he jumped up.  A mistake on his part, because his foot was still asleep.  After a few minutes, everyone was awake.  Tired, wet, and imagining Piers dead.  Sadly enough, their reactions were almost identical to Isaac's.

Kraden led the way out of the catacombs.  Behind him, Felix wondered how Kraden had lasted this long.  Kraden had traveled all over Angara as a prisoner.  Then he went with a boy wanted all over Angara and his "kidnapped" sister along with a girl from Lalivero who was also kidnapped.  Then they proceeded to recruit a rogue Lemurian into their numbers.  While this was happening, another four was in pursuit of them, intent on impaling Felix for even thinking about it.  They had climbed the lighthouses in a race of time, journeyed to numberous islands all over Weyard.  They visited Lemuria despite the strong currents and Poseidon blocking their way.  They went through caves and catacombs, collecting Djinni and Summons for them, not to mention weaponry and armor fused with psyenergy.  They ventured into ruins and rocks in search of powerful psyenergy that would aid them in the future.  Then they discovered that three more adepts, possibly as powerful as the four that were chasing them now, were in pursuit of them as well.  The old man had quite a heart, for now, he was ready to jump into another adventure, this one probably more dangerous, as they knew almost nothing of what they were getting into.  All they knew was light the lighthouses and the elemental stars were in Anemos.  They were in a world called Terra, and they needed help.

Kraden looked excitedly at the cliff they were on now, just outside the cave.  "Look, everyone!" They looked, and Garet had to jump back to avoid from barfing.

"Is it just me?" He said as he was still green, "Or are those _freakin' clouds_ down there?!"

"Yes!" Kraden confirmed, "And below those clouds seem to be the exact shape of Weyard."

"That _is_ Weyard!" Ivan said unnecessarily.  "If you squint, you can almost see Contigo…"

"Well I didn't know enhanced senses were one of your powers, Ivan…" Jenna teased.

"Yeah," Garet stood up, towering over Ivan, "And how do you know that's Contigo? It's in the middle of _nowhere_!"

"Sheesh, Garet," Ivan pouted, "I was only making a point."

Garet looked guiltily at the ground.  The nice, solid ground, he thought.

"Come on!" Kraden called.  "There's a vine right over there we could climb." Garet gulped.  He prayed silently and desperately that his clumsiness would not kick in anytime soon.  They climbed the vine down which was a distance of about ten feet.  It seemed like days to Garet, and not even everyone could prevent themselves from looking down and freezing a little in terror.  As Garet finally jumped off the vine and onto the ground, he turned around smiling, but almost fainted in shock at what he saw… a _rope_ bridge!"

"Why did it have to be a rope bridge?" He complained the whole way, "Why couldn't it be a _wooden_ bridge? Those are nice and you have less of a chance of _falling off_!"

"Cheer up, Garet!" Felix said feigning happiness, "At least it's not a lash bridge…" He muttered under his breath.  Everyone nodded a little, hearing him and agreeing.  "We're almost there!" Felix breathed as he jumped back on solid ground.  "Look! It's a clear run across!" Kraden stood next to him, examining the area.  Sure enough, it was a clear run, and the fog was just ahead.  Next was Jenna, then Piers, Ivan, Mia, and Garet, with a pushing Isaac behind him.

"Let's go!" Felix ran at a sprint with the rest of their numbers following behind.  "The sooner we get to Anemos, the _better_!"

"Wait, Felix!" Mia tried to warn, spotting the crack on the ground just in time, managing to stop Isaac, Kraden, Piers, Garet, and Ivan.  Felix kept on jogging as he looked back.

"What's the matter--?" He tried to ask, but the crack gave away, revealing a dark hole.  He fell down, followed shortly by Jenna, but she managed to grab onto the ledge.

"Hold on, Jenna!" Piers rushed to her aid, quickly lying on his stomach and grabbing Jenna's small wrists to pull her up.  "Help!" Isaac and the others created a chain as they grabbed Piers's ankles and started to pull him back.  Jenna started to breathe a sigh of relief as her whole arm managed to make it to the surface, but received a shock as her Golden Circlet slipped off Piers's grip.  She fell to the darkness as well.  Piers scrambled back to the dark hole, trying to grasp Jenna's hand before she fell, but he missed.  Not only that, but his momentum sent him diving back after her.  The three adepts were now nowhere to be seen.

"What do we do now?" Ivan asked.  "We have to find Felix and the others."  Everyone thought for a second, until Kraden spoke up.

"What do you think, Isaac?" He asked their newly appointed leader.  "Do we continue or look for the others?"

Isaac pondered for a moment, looking down at the hole where Felix, Jenna, and Piers fell.  "They'll be fine." He decided finally, "If they survived the fall, which I'm pretty sure they did, they'll find a way out.  When they do…" He looked to the others, "They'll know where to go." Mia sobbed behind Ivan.  How could she have let things go so far? Maybe she could've done something.  Immediately, she felt Isaac's touch on her shoulder.  "Cheer up, Mia." He smiled warmly, but his eyes were sad.  "They'll live.  They've survived against worse odds.  Heck…" He looked to the others trying to be optimistic, "We chased them all over our world! What's a tiny hole gonna do?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Garet said sarcastically, "Kill them?!" Everyone looked to the ground.  Of course Garet was right, but they'd rather give their right arms to accept it  Felix, Jenna, and Piers could not be dead.  They absolutely can't.  After all they'd been through, they must have found a way to stay alive.

"C'mon, everyone." Isaac ordered, "We're done here."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Sure enough, Isaac was right.  Below them, Felix was stirring.  He looked up groggily, now even more sore.  He jumped back alarmed at the sight of Piers on top of Jenna.  "You little _fuck_!" He cursed as he conjured Grind to make a piece of rock jolt up sending the two flying.  Jenna landed on her back, but got up painfully on her knees.  Piers landed on his feet, ready for action, but let his guard down as he saw Felix.  "I can't believe you just tried to seduce my _sister_!" Felix ranted as he sent down Spires after another after Piers.  Piers could only wheeze as he darted back and forth to avoid getting a rock drilled into his head.

"Stop!" Jenna gasped as she tackled her older brother.  She was stronger than he thought.  "Felix didn't try to seduce me! He tried to save me!"

"Oh?" Felix said angrily, "He sure as hell wasn't doing a good job of it!"

"No, you idiot!" Jenna smacked Felix on the head, "He must've fell after the circlet slipped out of my wrist."

"Huh?" Felix looked questioningly at her.  "What do you mean?"

"I managed to grab onto the ledge after we fell!" Jenna explained impatiently, "Piers grabbed on to my wrist, but the circlet slipped off along with his grip! He must've fell after that!"

"Oh…" Felix said stupidly.  "I'm—…"

"Are you quite finished?" Piers interrupted between breaths.  Felix nodded sheepishly and apologized quickly.  Piers merely nodded and stood in front of Jenna.  "I believe this belongs to you…" He handed her the Golden Circlet in his right hand.  "Felix, you should've known better, having traveled with me for some time, that I would not, in any way, take advantage of Jenna." He added sternly to the Venus Adept.  "Besides, the age difference there is quite tremendous.  I'm older than Kraden."

Felix just nodded, not even asking for Piers's age, because he knew he wouldn't answer.  "Sorry." He apologized again, sincerely.

"I acknowledge your apology by not retaliating for your stunt earlier…" Piers muttered grumpily.  "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to find a way out of here."

"Yeah," Felix agreed, spotting a door nearby.  "Let's go!" He led, followed by Jenna and Piers.  They ran up what seemed like a million staircases.  It seemed Terra had a thing for them, for he heard the story of Crossbone Isle from Garet once, while he was drunk.  The big oaf had said that the Isle had numerous staircases.  Of course, it might have been exaggerated.  He wouldn't be surprised if it was.  It was Garet after all.

"Look!" Jenna screamed in delight.  "Light!" Sure enough, as Felix looked up and squinted, there was light at the end of the tunnel.  They rushed out of the cave to find that they were just near the rope bridge.

"Come on, everyone! I don't know where Isaac and the others are, but I have no doubt that they're in there!" He pointed to the fog that engulfed everything.

"Hmmm…" Piers looked intently at it.  "They might've defeated the god by now.  I don't know how long we were out."

"Take no chances." Felix cautioned, "We have to hurry, but grab onto someone! We have to stick together." Everyone nodded as they held hands.  "Let's go!" Felix led them into the fog.

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Isaac was hurled back crashing into a boulder painfully.  The battle ahead was intense.  Zeus didn't even receive damage until Ivan summoned Thor.  In front of him, Ivan and Garet were fighting side to side in perfect rhythm as Mia ran to him healing his back.  Isaac was no ready to jump back into the fight.  Kraden collected rocks and started throwing them at Zeus.  "Judgment!" Isaac summoned.  He looked to the angel of the apocalypse in delight as Garet and Ivan jumped back with one final blow.  Zeus looked at the angel boredly… that is until it shot off a ball of light with it's cannon right at his head.  Zeus found himself kissing the ground a moment later as explosions erupted around him.  Now he was pissed…

Mia cheered, but it died in her throat as she saw Zeus get up angrily.  "Wish!" She cast, as everyone used psyenergy until their Djinni were ready for action again.

"Eruption!" Garet called.

"Spark Plasma!" Ivan yelled.

"Mother Gaia!" Isaac jumped in.

The reaction was immense.  As Garet's Eruption opened up the ground, and started spewing out lava, Isaac's Mother Gaia made the opening wider, also sending out the power of the Earth.  Zeus was engulfed by the power of Mars and Earth while lightning continually struck him.  It seemed as if the god had been defeated.  They all breathed a sigh of relief as they sat down, exhausted.  However, Zeus got up shakily behind them.  He roared an unearthly battle cry that made the group pale.  They turned around quickly only to meet Zeus's mighty fist.  They were smacked bodily into the boulder.  As the fist retreated, the four dropped to their knees and then to the ground, clutching weakly for consciousness.  There was so much blood.

"Take that!" Kraden raged as he threw rocks hard at Zeus's back.  "And that! And that! And…" He ran out of rocks.  Zeus scratched his back annoyed.  He started towards Kraden as the old man circled around to hide behind the boulder.  "Uh-oh…"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A cycle beam pushed Zeus to the side like a rag doll.  It cleared some of the fog as it went.  A quick flash of a blade rose from the ground and came down with the force of a meteorite.  "Megiddo!" Felix called as it came down on the dazed god.

"Diamond Berg!" Piers charged forward and performed some astounding moves.  Kraden watched in awe as Zeus howled in pain.

"Meteor!" Jenna summoned.  A barrage of unearthly rocks came down on Zeus hard.  Explosions erupted all over his body and huge blisters formed.  The battle was taking its toll on him.  Not only had he exhausted his psyenergy with the last fight, but now these three were just as strong.

"Boreas!" Piers called.

"Judgment!" Felix summoned beside him.  The two summons tag teamed on Zeus, sending the god flying and landing on the ground with a loud thud.

"Thunder Fist!" He cast at the three.  The three were shocked.  It was still fighting? A huge fist made of electricity flew at them, catching them unaware.  It sent Piers and Felix flying and they flew at Jenna, who was slammed to the ground by their bodies.  Zeus dragged himself forward wearily.  He stood, looking down on them.  Pathetic little mortals, thinking they could defeat a god.

"THOR!" A faraway voice screamed into the air.  The fog cleared as a solitary bolt of lightning descended from the sky and hit Zeus head on.  Zeus jumped back in pain.  In front of him, the mighty god of Thunder stood, identical to the one that hit him earlier.  Only this time, he seemed more powerful.  Thor slammed his hammer's end on the ground, sending bits of rock flying.  The hammer charged and lightning erupted from it, sending massive amounts of damage at Zeus's direction.  Zeus could only stare wide eyed at its fate.  It struck him in the temple and he jumped up.  As he did so, he disappeared off the face of the earth.  If he had stayed, he would've noticed that Thor had gone back to where it had been contained.

The eight people stood up, ignoring the pain.  All they could do was look at the newcomer wide eyed.  With a dazzling new Shaman's Cloak and powerful rod, she stood at an overhang near the battlefield.

"Sheba!" They greeted.  Some, more loudly than others.  They ran to meet her, Felix in the lead.  They had been reunited, and together, they took on another god.  Sheba's stern look disappeared and turned to a wide grin as Felix grabbed her in a bear hug, spinning her around.  Everyone waited patiently, but crowded around her as she stopped spinning.  A shadow nearby alerted them.  They raised their blades and staffs ready for battle, but Sheba tried to stop them.

"These your friends?" Sir Arthur asked.  He had long shaggy brown hair with a brown beard.  "They don't look too tough." They all frowned.  "But we all know looks can be deceiving.  Never have I seen such power… and you're all so young!"

"Thank you." Kraden grinned.  Everyone laughed.  Piers laughed along, knowing full well that he was well over twice Arthur's age.

"Why didn't you tell me you had such power, Sheba?" Sir Arthur chuckled.  "I might've reconsidered your imprisonment."

"You _imprisoned_ her?" Felix looked at him incredulously, unsheathing his Sol Blade.  Sheba grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"Calm down, boy." Sir Arthur said soothingly.  "If she had appeared to you as she did to my party, you would not have thought differently."

"What's he talking about, Sheba?" Felix asked her, "How did you get here?"

"I'll explain later, once we go back to Anemos." She stated slowly.  "Come on." She led the way, holding on to Felix beside Arthur.  The fog started to clear and up ahead, they could see it.  The city in the sky.  The city of Anemos.


	9. Sheba Speaks

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter Nine (Sheba Speaks):**

They dodged the busy streets, careful not to get lost.  The glimpses of Anemos they saw were incredible.  This was possible the biggest city they had ever seen.  It was easily half of Angara! They came upon an inn that had the unfamiliar design of an architect.  They walked in.  Apparently the town had seen better days, for everything seemed grand at first glance, but a look closer and you would wince in disgust.  The innkeeper almost had a heart attack when he looked up.  Anemos had never had more than five travelers, and that was over a thousand years ago.  But lo and behold! Here were ten people walking in.  He was about to speak up when the fabled man at the front spoke up.

"It's okay," Sir Arthur smiled knowingly, "They're with me." The innkeeper nodded and pretended to go back to his business.  What else could you say to one of King Arthur's reputation? He watched them at the corner of his eye with renewed interest.  If King Arthur was with them, they sure as hell weren't ordinary travelers.  Maybe they were merchants from China.  No, that couldn't be right.  The Chinese have never visited Anemos before.  He had no idea what they looked like.  All they knew was that the Chinese were getting to be quite advanced, despite everyone else failing.  Maybe the Chinese had blue hair and stern yellow eyes like that boy over there.  Or perhaps they had flaming red hair raised into spikes with huge giants for bodies.  Either way, he tilted his head a little, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"So…" Sheba started, looking at everyone in turn for a moment.  Her gaze lingered on Felix, but then it continued to circulate.  "What are you doing here?"

"What are we doing here?" Felix said incredulously, meeting Sheba's curious gaze with his own outraged one.  "We're here to save the world!"

"Again?" Sheba sighed.  This really was getting old.  Save the world from total annihalation.  Make the decision that might cause the destruction of mankind or the last chance for life.  Yep, she heard this before once she had fell off Venus Lighthouse.  "You've already saved the world.  You lit the lighthouses and stopped Gaia Falls from eroding Weyard.  You did your job, finished what you came to do." She said grumpily, "Now go home."

Felix was dumbfounded.  Sheba and he were finally reunited and all Sheba could say was that she wanted them packing? "What… what…" He stuttered, hatred beyond words.

"I believe," Kraden stepped in, while Jenna pulled her brother back.  "That Felix and I have not had our say." Sheba responded by not answering.  That meant that she wanted Kraden to go on.  "It is true we saved Weyard from destruction by Gaia Falls, but we have not saved Weyard completely."

"If you're talking about the bandits…" Sheba interrupted the old man.  "Going to Anemos won't solve that. Go back to Weyard and take care of it.  Being here won't solve anything."

"I beg to differ, Sheba," Piers argued.  "I believe that we being in Anemos is a vital part of saving Weyard once more."

Sir Arthur, who had remained silent until now was quite interested in the exchange.  "Am I correct in assuming that these people come from where you originated, Sheba?"

"No." Sheba said fiercely, "Yes." She couldn't make her mind, "In a sense.  I grew up in Weyard, the entire world below Anemos, but I'm positive I was born here."

"Yes." Arthur agreed, "The resemblance with you and the other citizens is remarkable.  I agree with you."

"Anyway." Sheba continued.  "About four years ago, Felix was taken hostage by Proxians along with his parents and Isaac's father" She pointed Isaac and Felix out.  "Saturos and Menardi were their names.  They sought to gather the elemental stars, but failed, because one of their men triggered a trap, which sent a boulder crashing to Vale.  It was thought that the boulder killed Felix's parents and Isaac's father, but it was actually Saturos and Menardi who took them."

"And?" Sir Arthur was confused.  "What does that have to do with saving the world?"

"Well," Sheba clarified, "a year ago, Isaac, Jenna, Garet, and Kraden discovered the elemental stars using the information they pieced together from a conversation with Saturos and Menardi." She pointed out the four.  "Saturos, Menardi, and Felix waited for them and took the stars along with their friend Alex.  However, it started a reaction with Mount Aleph.  The volcano was going to erupt, and Isaac and Garet couldn't escape in time."

"What about Kraden and Jenna?" Sir Arthur asked.

"They were taken hostage by Saturos and Menardi as well." Sheba said sadly.

"Those two sound like cowards!" Sir Arthur growled.  "Just wait until they come to Anemos, I will turn them inside out!"

"That's not possible," Isaac sighed guiltily.  "We killed them atop Venus Lighthouse." Sir Arthur was wide eyed.  Did he just say _Venus Lighthouse_? He decided, siding with his better judgment, to let Sheba continue.

"It was at that very cave that the Wise One gave them the mission to retrieve the Elemental Stars and take the Mars Star they had.  This was because lighting the lighthouses could cause the destruction of Weyard!"

"But you said you lit them!" Sir Arthur reasoned.  "You caused the destruction of your own world?"

"No." Isaac denied, "The alternative is worse.  By lighting the lighthouses, we stopped Gaia Falls from eating away Weyard, thus saving it in the process.  The Wise One was afraid that once Alchemy was unleashed, mankind would destroy itself."

"Ah," Sir Arthur said, "I see.  I would've done the same, but boy what a choice.  Save the world and let mankind destroy itself, or let Gaia Falls destroy mankind."

"Precisely," Kraden confirmed.  "Please continue, Sheba."

"Anyway," Sheba continued.  "I was not involved at the time, but somehow, Isaac and Garet, on their new quest, managed to find another adept at Vault who was in dire need of their help.  He joined them after a while.  His name was Ivan." Sheba pointed to the other blonde adept.  "They headed east from there, to Bilibin, and north to Imil, where they made a startling discovery that Alex, one of their enemies used to live there.  They also found Mia, who joined their party once she knew she could not tackle Mercury Lighthouse and its intruders alone.  Mercury Lighthouse was stationed near Imil."

"I see…" Sir Arthur said as he looked at the blue-haired girl with the warm smile.  "Continue."

"The four continued to pursue Saturos, Menardi, Alex, Jenna, Kraden, and Felix all throughout Angara after Mercury Lighthouse was lit.  As they headed towards Tolbi, they heard rumors of me being kidnapped, which gave them further reason to pursue Saturos and Menardi.  They did so, but a battle broke out atop Venus Lighthouse.  After the smoke had cleared, Saturos and Menardi had been defeated."

"Good for you!" Sir Arthur congratulated.

"They weren't dead yet," Isaac whispered grumpily.  "They should've told us their intentions… we would've helped them."

"No, Isaac." Kraden smiled sadly while Sir Arthur looked at him in confusion.  "Helping them would've gone against the values Vale taught you to hold dear.  You would not have helped them simply because it was the Wise One that sent you on a mission."  Isaac nodded unsure.

"Saturos and Menardi took the Venus Star and leaped into the lighthouse, falling what seemed to be forever.  After a moment, the Venus Lighthouse lit, cracking the continent and seperating the land of Idejima.  Everyone had escaped there, except for Felix and Sheba who managed to stay behind.  Sheba lost her balance and held on desperately, about to fall.  Felix tried to help her, but to no avail.  She fell off Venus Lighthouse."

"Good Lord!" Sir Arthur was taken aback.  "Then?"

"Felix jumped after her." Isaac said simply, recalling the events of that day.  Sir Arthur looked to Felix and looked to him in what seemed like respect.  "I believe Sheba can take it from here.  I don't know what happened to them afterwards."

Sheba cleared her throat, blinking away the tears in her eyes.  She remembered Felix's dive so vividly, seeing his serious face try to catch her in mid air.  The fall seemed like forever, but they made it.  "Felix dragged me to Idejima.  I was unconscious." She looked at Arthur, failing to hide the tears that had managed to roll down her cheek.  She didn't care.  What Felix did was brave and thoughtlessly noble.  She hugged Felix hard then thought to herself… he could've died! She pushed him off her and decked him in the face.  "You could've died!" She raged.  Felix smiled weakly.

"You're welcome." He muttered.

"With Kraden, Jenna, and Felix, we ran from Isaac and his group, afraid that a fight would break out.  Nothing much happened until Piers joined our group.  We used his ship to venture into the seas, running from Isaac.  They caught up to us on top of Jupiter Lighthouse.  They were tricked by a new band of Proxians.  Menardi's sister Karst and her mate Agatio.  Isaac's party lost miserably.  We came in then, and spared their lives.  As soon as we got our issues settled in Contigo, we banded together and headed for Mars Lighthouse.  We lit the top with plenty of difficulty."

"Yes." Sir Arthur told them, "Sheba has already filled me in on the battles you fought on your quest." He paused as if in deep thought.  "Although I didn't completely believe it until you almost single-handedly defeated Zeus! Still… that still doesn't explain why you're here… from your version of events, you've already saved your world.  Why come to Terra?"

Sheba looked to them as well, no doubt having realized that, too.  "Yeah." She agreed.  "Why are you guys here? I know I'm here because I've come to look for my past."

Everyone's eyes hardened thinking of Alex.  Damn him, Felix thought.  If he hadn't been so clumsy, Alex could be dead now, and this whole mess wouldn't have happened.  He could've ended it all in Vale.  Isaac, knowing what his comrade was thinking, shook his head.  "You couldn't have done anything, Felix." His face tensed up.  "Would we have permitted this world to suffer the fate we've fought so hard to prevent in Weyard?"

Sheba and Sir Arthur were alarmed.  "What?" They said at the same time.

This time, Felix spoke up.  "After you disappeared, Sheba, a lot of things happened.  Alchemy still threatened everything, even Vale.  Weird things started happening, and Kraden thought Mount Aleph was the source.  Jenna, Kraden, and I investigated to find Alex battered as if he was in a fight.  We fought him, thinking we could win, but he got away, but managed to kidnap Kraden."

Sheba was shocked.  "What did you do?"

"Of course, we gathered everyone we could and followed him to Lunpa.  There, we got seperated.  Dodonpa lured us to believe that he was on our side now.  We pursued Alex on one of his ships.  We were also supposed to meet the others at Gondowan Passage."

"And?" Sheba asked curiously.

"We didn't get that far.  He was about to escape into the Sea of Time when the others were passing.  Isaac managed to signal them.  We caught Alex and brought him back to Lunpa.  Our mistake."

Sheba stood up straight.  "What do you mean? Weren't you supposed to catch him?"

"Yeah," Felix answered.  "But we shouldn't have entrusted him to Dodonpa.  It was all an elaborate trap.  Alex needed to be caught so that he could tell us what was happening without us getting suspicious.  Right after I went out to go tell the others, he escaped using the back door.  He had help too.  Dodonpa's a filthy, lying, bag of ass."

"He got away?" Sheba asked a little unnecessarily.

"Yeah…" Felix nodded, "He got away.  I tried to catch him, but I was too slow.  That's why we're here now."

"You still haven't told us why you're _here_ exactly." Sir Arthur interrupted.

"We're here because Gaia Falls has stopped eating Weyard away…" Kraden paused, "And has started to feast on Terra."  
  


"What?" Sir Arthur bolted up, sending his chair skidding backward.  "Are you telling me that the threat of Gaia Falls isn't over?"

"Far from over." Isaac smiled weakly.  "It's eating away Terra twice as fast as it did in Weyard.  Luna's lighthouses need to be lit."

"Luna's lighthouses?" Sheba was confused, but Sir Arthur cleared his throat.

"I believe I might be able to shed some light on this subject." He stated.

"Good." Kraden smiled, "Most of the things we know have been from your daughter Deirdre." Piers gulped.

"Deirdre?" Sir Arthur paused.  "So… you've been to London? It's been a while since I left, I wonder how my daughter is taking it."

"She didn't seem too worried." Piers spoke.  "She's convinced that you'll come back with another heroic feat to add to your reputation."

"Hmmm…" Sir Arthur paused.  "There are three lighthouses that I know in Terra, however, I do suspect that there is a fourth.  It may be concealed in the fog to the north."

"You are quite correct," Kraden nodded.  "Saturn Lighthouse is indeed hidden in the far reaches of the north."

"We call it the Arctic." Sir Arthur chuckled.  "I don't know of any settlements there.  Perhaps one day I shall journey there."

"Perhaps." Kraden laughed merrily.

"Legend tells us through fairy tales of warriors coming from far off lands.  They will come to Terra one day after proving their own world that they are its heroes.  Together, along with Terra's own band of heroes, they will overcome the great threat that clouds everything." Sir Arthur paused.  "The writing on London's own catacombs describe the obstacles along the way.  Poseidon, some kind of fused dragon, two identical dragons, and a dragon with three heads that was dubbed Doom Dragon.  But most distinctly was the flying ship they traveled in."

"That _does_ sound an awful bit like us." Kraden observed.  "Piers's ship was left in London, though, but what about these lighthouses? What do you know about them?

Sir Arthur shook his head.  "I'm afraid not much is known about the lighthouses.  The things I know are what the villages near them tell me.  I travel a lot."

"Well, chances are, you know more about them than we do." Kraden laughed.

Sir Arthur chuckled.  "Yes I suppose so." He cleared his throat.  "The four lighthouses have always been in Terra.  A thousand years ago, during some kind of Lost Age, the light on top of them diminished.  As soon as it diminished, the whole world turned to shreds.  There was a huge earthquake that lasted for a long time, and after it ended, everything seemed perfectly fine, but… it seemed the towns we had traveled to in the past have ceased to exist!"

Kraden nodded.  "Yes, I believe that was when Gaia Falls was born."

Sir Arthur agreed.  "Yes.  The walls outside of Neptune Lighthouse tell us that an obstacle fused of Neptune and Mercury will cause a rift between both worlds.  This seemed to confuse me until I heard your story, especially since I didn't know what Mercury was."

Kraden was shocked.  "Of… of course! I'm sorry, King—"

"Sir Arthur's fine." Sir Arthur interrupted.

"Yes… but… okay… in our world, we always thought that everything was divided into four elements, each with their own lighthouse.  There are Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars Adepts.  But recently, we've found out about _special_ kinds of adepts."

"What's the difference between all these adepts?" Sir Arthur wondered.

"Mercury Adepts have their powers based on water, as does Neptune's.  Venus's powers come from the Earth, as does Uranus.  Mars Adepts have powers of fire, but as does Saturn.  And Jupiter… well, they can read minds!"  
  


"And I assume that Pluto Adepts can as well?" Sir Arthur asked.

"Precisely." Kraden nodded.

"My daughter is aligned with Pluto, did you know?" Sir Arthur informed them.

"Yes, we knew." Kraden said.  "We offered her a spot in our party, but she declined."

"I believe my absence in London had something to do with it." Sir Arthur told them sadly.  "I fear I've deprived my daughter the joys of childhood."

"I hardly think that lighting the lighthouses is designated as a normal joy of childhood." Kraden joked.

Sir Arthur smiled brightly.  "Yes, I suppose you're right." He looked to the rest of the group.  "I have my own business to attend to.  If you're headed to Neptune Lighthouse, then Sheba can lead you in the right direction." Everyone nodded and looked to Sheba as Sir Arthur started to walk away.  He took out several gold coins from his pouch and planted them on the innkeeper's desk, who fell back as he noticed he'd almost been caught trying to eavesdrop.

Sheba sighed.  "Yes, I can help.  Good day, Sir Arthur." He waved to them and walked out the door.

"Now Sheba," Kraden said curiously.  "Last we heard of you, you headed south in search of Anemos.  You've found it, but how?"

"I looked for answers near Contigo.  I even asked help from Hamma at one point.  I was able to get a ship in Madra and borrowed a ship.  My efforts were useless, as I didn't discover anything about how to get to Anemos.  I did manage to uncover some remains of the old city.  It was an extension of the ruins.  I headed back to Madra, disappointed.  "I went to Lalivero, masquerading as just another traveler.  As I ventured into its catacombs…"

"Catacombs? Lalivero has no catacombs!" Jenna interrupted.

Sheba frowned.  "Travelers are not permitted to venture through it.  It's also too dangerous.  I only managed to sneak in.  Without my powerful psyenergy, djinni, and special items, I could not have made it." She paused letting the info sink in to Jenna, who, she hoped, wouldn't interrupt so rudely later on.  "I ventured to the catacombs, and using the Cyclone Chip I obtained in Madra's own catacombs, I was able to venture deeper into it.  I came to a circular room, surrounded by light, which brought me east of here.  When I awoke, Sir Arthur was tending to me, claiming that I had appeared in the gateway with him.  He told me I was in Anemos, and I was with him since."

"And you've found out everything you could?" Kraden asked.

"From Anemos, yes.  I was gifted with psyenergy when I was a baby.  Somehow I managed to drop off the cliffs and land on Lalivero.  How I survived, I do not know."

"Hey, Isaac." Garet whispered.  "Doesn't this kind of thing sound familiar? Using psyenergy only when we need it?"

Isaac thought for a moment, recalling their adventure so long ago.  Tret Tree had tried to paralyze them with his psyenergy, but theirs protected them.  "Yes." He responded.  "Sheba, I think your psyenergy saved you." Everyone was taken aback.

"I see…" Sheba thought rapidly.  "I think that you being here isn't a coincidence.  My past can wait.  I want to go with you."

Everyone grinned, including Kraden, and especially Felix.  "Sheba." Kraden informed, "I think that now that we have been to Anemos, and into the world which you should've known of a long time ago, we will uncover your past much quicker."

Sheba smiled.  "I hope so." She looked seriously at the rest of them.  "So… our next adventure, huh?"

"Yep." Garet said proudly. They started out the inn nodding to the innkeeper, acknowledging his shocked face.  They stopped as they were out the door, looking around then back to Sheba.

 "So what're we waiting for?" Sheba grinned.  "Onward! To Neptune Lighthouse!" She ran breathlessly to the east, past the busy streets, with the others trailing after her.


End file.
